Jim Griffin, Owner of Griffin’s Lair, Sonoma County, California has a 21 acres vineyard that suffered from bird damage to crops like many other vineyard owners. He heard about the newest laser technology and was intrigued to discover the Agrilaser Autonomic. The automated laser is used at many vineyards around the world including Devonian Coast Wineries in Canada, Bodega Catena Zapata in Argentina and Summerhill Road Vineyard in Australia.
After having contacted Bird Control Group, Jim had four solar powered lasers installed on poles to cover the entire vineyard. As a result, Griffin’s Lair saves around $25,000 every year and has a 99.8 % reduction in birds. “We tried many different bird deterrent measures but most are difficult to use, and lasers make it easier and very effective.” says vineyard owner Jim Griffin.
The laser bird deterrent technology takes advantage of a bird’s natural instincts. Birds perceive an approaching laser beam as a predator and take flight to seek safety when the laser beam passes by. There are more than 6,000 users of the bird deterrent lasers worldwide, but this is the first time the technology is being used on California wine grapes.
In terms of forward thinking, perhaps this technology could also work at airports where bird strikes can prove fatal for human travelers. For more details, visit the Bird Control Group and watch video demoes one and two.